The Kashmere Stage Band

KTRU 91.7 FM
The Thresher is not responsible for the content of the rice radio folio.
FALL 2009
The Kashmere Stage Band:
A Forgotten Funk Legacy
By Mark Flaum
Kashmere High School is a struggling
program in the northeast part of town,
stained with an unhealthy dropout rate
and recently threatened with closure.
Once upon a time, however, the school
was host to a nearly forgotten legacy
of large ensemble soul-funk that ranks
among the high points of Houston music
history. Between 1967 and 1978 the band,
consisting entirely of enrolled students,
released eight full-length LP records and
toured Japan, only to disappear into the
obscurity of poor distribution and limited
documentation. Only recently has the
music of the Kashmere Stage Band found
its way back into availability, largely thanks
to the efforts of hip-hop crate diggers and
beat collectors.
Conrad O. “Prof” Johnson, a jazz and
R&B musician born in Victoria, Texas in
1915, decided in 1941 to dedicate himself to
music education rather than performance.
By 1969 he was director of the stage band
at Kashmere Senior High School. Stage
bands were found in most Texas high
schools of that era, but Johnson was a
somewhat unusual director—he had a
healthy respect for the popular music that
locals who stumbled upon copies of their
vinyl output. Several musicians who came
of age in the band continued to make music,
including Bubbha Thomas (a musicianactivist whose Summer Jazz workshop has
trained young Houstonians for the past 30
years) and Melvin Sparks (a prolific solo
jazz guitarist), but the recordings of the
full band had become rare artifacts sought
by collectors and traded at high prices.
In 2000 the Soul Patrol label included the
track “Scorpio” from their fourth LP, 1972’s
Zero Point, on a deep funk compilation. A
year later, Stones Throw records put the
track “Kashmere” on the very influential
funk compilation “Funky 16 Corners.” Following that release, Stones Throw general
manager Eothen Alapatt (also known as
Egon) traveled to Houston to find out more
about the history of the band, as well as
to get his hands on more KSB music. His
journey was quite successful, leading to a
double CD compilation presenting some
of the hottest tracks off the LP releases
as well as unreleased material. This was
perhaps the widest distribution the KSB
has ever seen, and was soon followed by
several quasi-bootleg reissues of some
original albums on LP. The music of the
his students were passionate about. Rather
than driving his students through big-band
jazz or swing, he helped them arrange the
music of James Brown and other soul and
funk masters for large ensemble. Eventually the students were composing their own
material, with Johnson helping write the
scores and bring the music to life.
The first recordings of the Kashmere
Stage Band appeared in 1969 as the first
release on the KRAM label, started by
Johnson specifically as an outlet for the
recordings of his students’ band. The
group remained extraordinarily prolific,
producing an LP or more per year up until
1975, including one LP dedicated to songs
composed by Johnson and members of the
band and a live album documenting their
tour of Japan. In 1972, they won the title
“Best High School Stage Band in the Nation,” and won 42 of 46 band competitions
they entered over up to 1978. Beyond being
the best school band, the KSB was among
the best large funk ensembles of their era
as well, comfortable with the influence of
jazz, the slow fire of soul, and the highvelocity groove of heavy funk.
And yet between 1978 and 2000, their
music was largely unheard, except by
KSB is available once more, and the legacy
of a Houston institution has returned to
light.
A sad postscript to the revival of the
Kashmere Stage Band—bandleader Conrad O. Johnson passed away in February
2008, after several hospitalizations and a
mild heart attack. He had retired from
teaching back in 1978, and in fact the same
weekend of his passing he had attended
a fundraiser and tribute concert featuring
original KSB members performing works
from the heyday of the band. The Conrad
O. Johnson School of Fine Arts, a musical
magnet program at Kashmere High, aims
to carry on the legacy of the Kashmere
Stage Band despite the difficulties the
school itself is facing.
You can experience the legacy of the
Kashmere Stage Band for yourself this upcoming Thursday, September 19 at downtown’s Discovery Green park, where the
Kashmere Reunion Stage Band, composed
of some of Johnson’s former students with
guitarist Joe Carmouche, will honor the
bandleader with a tribute concert.
Muzak John’s
Joyful Noise
Ted Leo at Rice
By Matthew Brownlie
As I approach the patio at Rudyard’s
I see that John is already there, sitting a
small distance from the other happy-hour
patrons. The 50-year old man in a fishing
hat is abusing a small acoustic guitar, attacking the fretboard with his ever-present
handheld tape recorder. Before we begin
our interview, he tells me that I’ll be playing
something on that guitar into that machine
when we finish talking. Which I do, but
what I come up with isn’t nearly as wild or
un-self-conscious as what he’s doing now.
But that’s okay; he tells me some time later
that he thought it sounded great.
Muzak John (or, just as often, John
Muzak) is an anomaly inside an anomaly,
a somewhat playful presence in Houston’s
often severe and serious noise/experimental scene. But it’s a tribute to that scene’s
welcoming spirit that he’s also a mainstay,
performing pretty much wherever and
whenever he feels like since 2000. I first
saw him during one of his guerrilla performances. He was on the ground outside a
club in the warehouse district, banging on
a small Casio keyboard and shouting into
a microphone run through a delay pedal.
Domokos (then of A Pink Cloud and Rusted
Shut) kicked a big, clattery metal bowl up
James Bricker/Breakfast on Tour
The 2009 Outdoor Show featured Ted Leo & The Pharmacists.
What is the Rice Radio Folio?
The Folio is first and foremost a programming and listening guide designed to help
you keep up with what’s on air. For your pleasure, our DJs also generate a healthy
serving of album reviews, playlists, band profiles, concert calendars, interviews, and
news and information about KTRU and the Houston music scene.
The Folio was a more regular feature from the 1980s through the early 1990s,
when it educated and entertained readers on a weekly basis. The station’s boost to
50,000 watts and resultant lack of a reliable on-campus signal until the late 1990s
contributed to its (partial) abandonment. Now the folio lives gain, in a longer, if less
frequent form. If you are new to KTRU, the Folio is an excellent place to begin what
will no doubt be a long and fruitful love affair. If you’re already hooked, the folio is just
another way to get more of what you love.
1
and down the sidewalk behind him.
And John was dressed like a wizard.
Cloak, big pointy hat with stars and crescent moons, the whole bit. It was anarchic,
innocent and fun.
It is also a testimony to the friendliness
of Houston’s semi-legendary noise scene
that Muzak was invited to play with local
heavy-hitters Rusted Shut, Ouroboros
and Yellow #6 a mere two months after
discovering the genre. In 2000, following
the end of a relationship, John decided
that it was time to find out what was going on in Houston’s small clubs. He saw
local mainstays Richard Ramirez (aka
Black Leather Jesus) and Rotten Piece
at Sound Exchange, A Pink Cloud at the
Commerce Street Art Warehouse, and the
Legendary Pink Dots at Instant Karma.
(It might be worth noting that the mighty
Sound Exchange is the only one of these
three performance spaces still around).
John had been a musician all his life, and
in the 1980’s had fallen in love with college
radio stations in Staten Island and New
Jersey. Noise music, however, was beyond
even their far-reaching playlists. “It wasn’t
formal music, it wasn’t ‘song’ music,” he
Continued on page 2
InterviewS and Artist Profiles
rice radio folio
FALL 2009
Artist Profile:
John McEntire
By Lance Higdon
John McEntire may well be the Kevin
Bacon of indie music. He has worked with
nearly every significant name in his adopted hometown of Chicago & beyond. A
triple threat as a percussionist, keyboardist & recording engineer, his aptitude in
both the performance & production of
innovative, rock-based music has left an
indelible stamp on over two decades of
activity.
Born in Portland, Oregon in 1970, he
nurtured an talent for percussion that
took him to Ohio’s prestigious Oberlin
Conservatory. Dismayed by the lack of
creativity he observed among the percussion majors there, he switched majors to
pursue a degree in music production &
technology. Aside from paving the way to
a career in audio engineering, his studies
lent his playing the sort of nuance and
insight not normally associated with rock
drummers.
In 1989 McEntire joined the math rock
band Bastro alongside ex-Squirrel Bait
members David Grubbs and Clark Johnson, adequately supplanting their drum
machine. After relocating to Chicago and
replacing Johnson with Bundy K. Brown,
Bastro released several albums before
changing their name to Gastr Del Sol.
After recording the album The Serpentine
Similar in 1993, McEntire entered his
watershed year. 1994 saw him join up
with Mayo Thompson in the venerable
art-rock band The Red Krayola and his
two best-known bands—Tortoise and The
Sea And Cake.
Tortoise possesses an all-star roster
of Chicago underground talent. Doug
McCombs, Dan Bitney and John Herndon have been constant fixtures in the
band since its inception. The short list of
alumni includes David Pajo (Slint, Papa
M and Zwan) and Brown (who was also
involved in the aptly-named Directions In
Music). As if this was not enough talent in
one place, avant-jazz guitarist Jeff Parker
Artist profileS AND upcoming events
has played with the band since the late
90s. With McEntire manning the mixing
board, Tortoise has spent a career exploring the borderlands between rock music
and other genres, earning themselves a
place as the posterchildren for post-rock.
Dub reggae, chamber-music minimalism,
various strains of electronic dance music,
and the outer limits of jazz all figure into
Tortoise’s palette. Though he obviously
enjoys keeping a low profile, McEntire’s
inventive playing (on vibraphone and synthesizer as well as drums) and innovative
recording techniques sit at the center of
this very wide web of players.
Named after a mishearing of a Gastr
Del Sol song, The Sea And Cake gave
McEntire the chance to play music that
approached pop music structure without losing its exploratory edge. They
released their first record, The Sea And
Cake, concurrently on Rough Trade
and Bettina Richards’ nascent record
label, Thrill Jockey. McEntire has since
become synonymous with Thrill Jockey,
releasing most of his projects through
them and handling a substantial amount
of the recording for their artists. As in
Tortoise, his loose-limbed but meticulous
drumming and subtle shaping of the sonic
environment keeps the music focused and
in peak audio form.
When not forging new paths in music, McEntire owns and operates Soma
Electronic Music Studios, also based in
Chicago. He has engineered releases for
Dianogah, 90 Day Men and Stereolab
among many others. Soma has also facilitated a number of remixes and some
film scores, most notably John Hughes’
Reach The Rock. He has also lent his
loose-limbed, perfectly-timed drumming
to a number of one-off recordings, such
as Richard Buckner’s alt-country album
Since, Seam’s slowcore LP Kernel and
the Tortoise all-drums offshoot Bumps
rhythmic workout of a 12”.
Hit the Ground Running:
FALL 2009 Recommended shows
Houston’s scene runs the gamut from experimental to bubblegum pop, death
metal to gamelan, so mark your calendars and check out KTRU’s upcoming
shows page, and other sites that note upcoming shows in the area. Don’t forget
to ask around or make a call to see if the show is sold out. Also, stay tuned to
91.7, and you just might pick up a few free tickets.
Pick your BATTLES:
Friday, September 4: wood & felt/My Milky Way Arms/Casinos/Sils/Chairs
@ Super Happy Fun Land
Saturday, September 5: Deviations: an Impromptu Spoken Word Happening,
featuring Autumn & Dan & more @ The Mink
Friday, September 11: Black Congress/Balaclavas/No No No Hopes @ Mango’s
Wednesday, September 16: Chin Xaou Ti Won/Two Star Symphony @ The Mink
Friday, September 25: Steel Lounge Underground @ CAMH
Thursday, October 8: Terrence Simien and the Zydeco Experience @ Discovery Green
Saturday, October 31: Final Walter’s Show on Washington
Sunday, November 21: Neko Case @ Warehouse Live
Make sure you check out calendars online for a full list of upcoming shows!
www.spacecityrock.com/
www.superunison.com/
www.namelesssound.org/
www.ktru.org/shows.shtml
Muzak John’s Joyful Noise
Continued from page 1
says, “you could just make sounds
and throw in anything you want. I said
‘This is great, I’d like to do something
like this.’”
At the first noise show he caught at
SoundEx, he met people involved with
the short-lived Montrose Pirate Radio
station, which had transitioned into an
early online radio station. There, he
played an all-cassette show, spinning
(if that’s the right word) everything
from the Allman Brothers to whatever
local band he had just taped at their
show through that aforementioned
handheld recorder. Soon after, he (along
with Al “The Plastic Clown” Pennison
and others) began a year-long weekly
residency at Mary Jane’s. John’s early
music was harsh noise but has softened
over time. These days he’s as likely to
perform with only that guitar than with
a Casio SK-1 and a few pedals, although
his acoustic material isn’t exactly Cat
Stevens. “Domokos calls me pop noise,”
he laughs.
He’s done guerilla performances
dressed as a clown in front of Amoeba
Records, the world’s largest indie
record store in San Francisco, and in
front of museums in Amsterdam (no
word on what, if any, costumes were
donned there). Locally, John says that,
“anywhere anytime’s good for a show,”
but these days he’s particularly fond of
the re-launched Super Happy Fun Land,
who have also put him on their stage
at the Westheimer Block Party for the
last few years. His disarmingly gentle
personality gets him in with fellow
musicians of all stripes, and you’ll see
him, tape recorder in hand, at shows
of every genre. He’s been especially
liking local jazz lately, and jazz players
in town appreciate what he does, too.
Well, some of them, anyway.
At some point in our interview I
asked Muzak if his seemingly lighthearted approach to creating and performing noise music was in any way a
reaction to the frequent self-seriousness
of the genre, or if noise’s do-what-youwill spirit simply gave him space to, well,
do just that. The answer is definitely the
latter. He makes noise for the simple
joy of making noise. Truthfully, I don’t
think that Muzak John thinks too hard
about what he’s doing at all. Which is
to say that I think he thinks about it
just enough.
An Interview with Bryan Lewis Saunders
By Ayn Morgan
Br yan Lewis Saunders is a visual,
performance and spoken word artist who
lives in East Tennessee. His recorded
work is intimate, honest and unsettling.
In 2008, Saunders’ jarring release N1-N4
Variations (vocal documentation from all
four sleep stages)” cataloged a spectrum
of vocalizations recorded during various
stages of unrest in his tormented sleep
cycle. This year, he collaborated with
percussionist Z’EV on DAKU, an intensely
primal journey into traumatic experience
and its physical manifestations.
Saunders’ spoken word performances
are empathetic, raw and cathartic. He often
tours Europe and the US, performing in
festivals and exhibitions. Also a visual
artist, Saunders has created at least one
self-portrait every day since 1995, a project
deemed “The Endlessly Reconstructing
Auto-Autopsy.” He currently stores 7,000
of the portraits in hardbound books, and
plans to continue producing them daily
for the rest of his life.
KTRU: Describe the difference between
the cathartic experience of your self-portraits
and public performances.
Bryan Lewis Saunders: On the surface
they both appear as vehicles for driving
out demons. However, the self-portraits
are more like praying or meditating every
day, and the performances are more like
hosting an evangelical revival. The self-
portraits are two-dimensional and tend
to focus more on the present, and on
personal daily mental health maintenance.
The performances are big multi-media
public purging events, more focused on
the past, and the demons are much more
social. When I draw or paint myself every
day, the release is what keeps me alive and
somewhat sane.
KTRU: Film projections on stage can
distract from intense spoken word performances. With your strong background in
visual arts, your videos compliment your
work. When did you first incorporate video
or projections into your live shows?
BLS: I started doing the videos in 2006. I don’t often speak eloquently, so the videos
are left rough and crudely edited too. The
rawness of both increases the tension. It
makes what I’m saying seem even more
real, because they’re like home movies as
opposed to being artsy-fartsy with a lot of
transitions and effects. Video is the supreme tool, in that it has
the ability to convey honesty, empathy,
truth and believability. The simplest way to
get people to believe and identify with you,
when you say outrageous or unbelievable
things, is to concurrently show them home
videos of it. It becomes more powerful.
KTRU: How much of your life is as
visceral as your work? Where do you think
this intensity comes from?
BLS: It comes from an exciting, yet
often traumatic childhood. Now that my
2
life has become totally devoted to documenting and sharing those experiences
(much to my deliverance), new trauma
is much less frequent. I tend to isolate
myself while working and that helps cut
down on it enormously. When I’m alone,
my head becomes a tightly sealed can. Using the stories as a starting point, I weave
the feelings, thoughts and beliefs around
them, like fat twisted cords, really packing
them down for several months. With the
lid on really tight, I finally get out and on
stage again. With great suspense, I slowly
unscrew the lid and all of these snakes jump
out of my head, at the audience. Only it’s
tragic, not funny, because the serpents are
real and not felt covered springs. KTRU: When recording N1-N4 Variations, what was your process? How did it
start?
BLS: Mysterious things have always
happened to me in my sleep. I would
frequently wake up feeling like I had just
been run over by a truck or physically
assaulted. I had great difficulty remembering any details of the events. So, I started
sleeping with a tape recorder to get to
the bottom of it. At first, I would awake
and immediately record anything I could
remember. The more I did it, the more
Pavlovian my “button pushing” became,
until I was waking up between each dream
and recording all of them. Eventually I
pushed the record button in my sleep and
documented my dreams in real time as
they occurred. The CD contains artifacts
of the entire process.
KTRU: What current experimental or
spoken word artists do you listen to?
BLS: Amnesia by Lydia Lunch and
Jacob Kirkegaard is pretty transcendent. The combination of Kirkegaard’s science
of sound aesthetic and Lydia’s graphic
poetic analysis seem to make her float
inside the gravity of man’s inhumanity.
The work of Gregor y Whitehead is
functional-conceptual art and extremely
fascinating. Out of all of his works,
The Thing About Bugs and The Hidden Language of Trees are my absolute
favorite. Headphones are a must.
Michael Esposito’s EVP collaborations,
The Summer House with Leif Elggren
and the ghost of Emanuel Swedenborg
is great. Michael Esposito is an audio
scientist. Leif Elggren is a contemporary
artist who works with sound, drawing and
performance. Emanuel Swedenborg was
a scientist, philosopher and spiritualist
who talked to angels and dead people
at the same Summer House throughout
the 1700’s.
Bryan Lewis Saunders is currently
working on several projects, including a
new release tentatively titled Near Death
Experience on the art/noise/spoken word
label Erratum (France). For more information and current projects, visit www.
bryanlewissaunders.org.
rice radio folio
FALL 2009
Artist Profile: Kaushiki
By Varsha Vakil
Kaushiki Chakrabor ty is a name
many aficionados of Indian music quickly
recognize as a modern master of the Hindustani, or North Indian, classical style
of singing. Kaushiki, a child prodigy, was
born into a family of musicians in 1980
in Kolkata, India, a city known as the
unofficial mecca of Hindustani music. Her
exceptional talent was recognized by her
parents when at the precocious age of two
she was able to sing any musical note on
command. Chakraborty’s father, Pandit
Ajoy Chakraborty, is himself a prominent
vocalist who showed extraordinary talent
in music at a very young age. His gurus
were his father Shri Ajit Chakraborty,
Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh and Ustad
Munawar Ali Khan, the son of the great
Patiala Maestro Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali
Khan.
Chakraborty has been highly praised
as the future of khayal and thumri style
of singing. She first received her training
from her mother, Chandana. At the age
of seven, she joined her father’s guru
Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh for training.
Chakraborty had the good fortune to
become the youngest-ever Ganda Bandh
shishy, or disciple. Ganda Bandh is a customary knot-tying ritual which fortifies
the relationship between the guru and the
student. The exemplary “guru-shishya”
style, a rigorous classical education system, symbolizes the learning relationship
with complete intellectual and spiritual
submission of the devoted shishya to the
guru. Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh introduced Chakraborty to the path of musical
excellence, teaching her that a balance
of inborn talent, hard work and diligent
dedication, and philosophical consciousness were the keys to success. When
Ghosh fell ill, Chakraborty returned to
her father for her training. Clearly, music
was in her genes, but the right combination of teaching and practice was crucial
to her development. Undoubtedly, she
has become an established artist thanks
not only to her talim (education) but also
rigorous riyaaz (practice).
Houston’s noted Pakistani artist Ali
Durrani compares Chakraborty’s intricate
singing style to his inspiration Ustad Bade
Ghulam Ali Khan. Durrani is fascinated
with this extraordinary talent that has
Chakraborty
taken the world by storm. He states that it
is not only her exceptional voice and singing style, but that beauty is in the intrinsic
fashion in which this gifted singer puts her
personal twist on intricate traditional ragas.
At a concert Chakraborty gave when she
was 16, the young performer received a
standing ovation not only from the audience, but also from 80-year-old maestro
Ustad Allah Rakha Khan, who spontaneously stood up to applaud her incredible
performance in a rare show of deference
from old to young. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi,
the legendary classical vocalist of India,
has said that “Kaushiki Chakraborty is one
of the very few classical vocalists who will
make a mark in the 21st Century; she has
really a very bright future if she practices
hard to realize her great potential.”
Chakrabor ty has per formed and
captivated audiences around the world.
Among other awards she has also won
the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award Asia Pacific in 2005. The Western world
usually finds it difficult to relate to Indian
vocals, mostly due to language barriers.
But Chakraborty’s singing has proven
otherwise, for she is a well acclaimed
artist around the world. Her singing style
of traditional bahlawa patterns is the style
typical of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
Her albums Kaushiki, released in 2008,
and Pure, from 2005, are a pure delight for
anyone seeking a captivating vocalist. Her
other albums are Swar Sadhna and A Journey Begins. A true global star renowned
for the spontaneity and emotional impact
of her live performances, Chakraborty’s
music is played not only on BBC radio, but
has also found a following on airwaves in
Belgium and the Netherlands.
Hindustani classical music, which has
mainly been male-dominated, originated
in the Vedic period and has been evolving
since the 12th Century A.D. Its most recent
evolution is the increased prominence of
female musicians (Girija Devi, Gangubai
Hangal, Kishori Amonkar), who have
fought centuries of gender stereotypes to
break through on their own right. Among
this new generation of woman artists,
Kaushiki Chakraborty may have the most
potential. Her worldwide appeal is opening
up the genre of classical Indian music to a
wider audience than ever before.
Letter From the Station Manager
By Rachel Orosco
Here’s the scoop on what’s up
with KTRU this year:
As the new school year begins,
there are several great opportunities
for new students and community
members to get involved with the
station. In addition to the opportunity to explore new musical territory
by applying to be a DJ, we have a
variety of positions available for
students interested in everything
from engineering to event planning.
If you have a penchant for journalism, consider joining our studentcreated KTRU News. Also, we have
several specialty shows that student
DJs can get involved with, including
but not limited to Mutant Hardcore,
Navrang (music from the Indian
subcontinent), Spoken Word, Jazz,
Scordatura (modern classical),
and the Revelry Report, where we
announce weekly musical events
in Houston and often interview or
host a live band. You can check out
ktru.org for more information on our
specialty shows.
In addition to our new fall hires,
I am very excited about the recent
revival of our small concerts program. Varsha, of our Navrang show,
put together a brilliant, educational,
and highly-attended classical Indian
music concert that gained tremendous visibility for KTRU and showcased skilled, authentic classical
Indian instrumentation. This year
we hope to bring several more of
these types of concerts in addition
to small concerts from various other
genres. We are always looking to expose the eclectic, progressive, and
educational sounds of local Houston
talent.
This is exactly what our annual Outdoor Show strives to do.
The 2009 show, held on April 11,
marked our 18th annual show, and
we were very happy with the lineup,
headed up by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, and ranging from B L A C K
I E’s indescribable rap to Buxton’s
medley of alternative Americana.
Next spring is sure to bring a similarly talented and eclectic mix of musicians from Houston and beyond.
We know we can expect another
excellent Outdoor Show from our
2010 Outdoor Show Coordinator,
Kelsey Yule.
*All items subject to change.
Stay up-to-date at ktru.org with
maps, times and lineups.
Friday, September 11, 2009, 5 p.m.
Deadline: Fall DJ applications
Friday, January 15, 2010
KTRU Live Broadcast (RMC Lobby)
Friday, January 22, 2010, 5 p.m.
Deadline: Battle of the Bands demos
Friday, February 12, 2010
KTRU Battle of the Bands
Lovett Undergrounds / Lyle’s, Rice University
Saturday, April 10, 2010
KTRU Outdoor Show (Date is Tentative)
Location to be determined @ Rice University
A Night of Navrang
Sri Gourisankar and Shankar Bhattacharyya, left, performed in an April 21 concert
sponsored by KTRU’s Navrang show.
3
Another great success this past
year was the return of our KTRU
Roller Prom. This year, the revived
KTRU tradition was transformed into
the Polar Prom, since we decided to
host the event on ice rather than at
a roller rink. The Polar Prom was yet
another fun and free event provided
by KTRU to Rice students and Houston community members, and we
were pleased and surprised by the
high turnout from both students and
non-students alike. I look forward to
the organization of another Roller/
Polar Prom in the coming year.
Although I am very pleased with
the events that KTRU put on this
past year, I hope to co-host more
partnered events out in Houston
this year similar to things we have
done in past years. For example,
three years ago we partnered with
the Contemporary Arts Museum
of Houston for their Steel Lounge
series, where KTRU DJs were able
to DJ live for museum guests in a
gallery space. Also, back when the
Proletariat was around, we collaborated with them on several concerts.
I hope to reform past relationships
and to form new ones with other
organizations around Houston to
spread the KTRU love and to provide
student DJs with more opportunities
to be involved in the Houston community.
Finally, because of the hard
work and persistence of our dedicated music department this year,
we have been able to bring in some
really great new music from more
of our favorite independent record
labels. Also, we have had several
highly dedicated DJs constantly
searching for unique music for us,
and we plan to continue to expand
our vast music collection in the coming year, with particular emphasis
on expanding our specialty show
libraries.
All in all, I am very pleased with
many of the improvements KTRU
has seen in the past couple years,
and I hope to live up to the greatness of Nick, my Eastern-Europeanobsessed predecessor.
Thanks for listening: bang.rice.
edu. 91.7 ear fuck radio. out.
SUmmer hits and top 35
rice radio folio
Specialty show playlists
FALL 2009
top 35 for the week of 09.03.2009
ALBUM
Various Artists
Black Moth Super Rainbow
Various Artists
Various - Nigeria 70
Wooden Shjips
Micachu
Elfin Saddle
Various Artists
Paradox
Various Artists
Theo Angell
Miura,Yasushi (Minimax)
Nomo
Greg
Whitmore, William Elliot
Black Dice
Elder Utah Smith
Various Artists
Night Control
Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting PAraiso U.F.O.
Cromagnon
Casey Foubert/James McAlister
Platinum Pied Pipers
Bonnie “Prince” Billy
The Golden Hours
Various Artists
Prefuse 73
Jody Seabody & The Whirls
Cave
Illa J
Svarte Greiner
Mono
The Social Insects
Various Artists
Mouthful of Bees
KTRU Local Live Vol. 1
Ktru
Eating Us
Graveface
Well Hung
Finders-Keepers
The Definitive Story of 1970s Funky Lagos
Strut
Dos
Holy Mountain
Jewellery
Rough Trade
Ringing For The Begin Again
Constellation
The Sounds Of Wonder
Finders Keepers
Called To Mind
End Of Earth
The Sexual Life of the Savages: Underground Post-Punk From Sao Paulo
Soul Jazz Records
Tenebrae
Amish
Magnitude No.9
Self-Released
Invisible Cities
Ubiquity Recordings, Inc.
Greg
Self-Released
Animals In The Dark
Anti
Repo
Paw Tracks
I Got Two Wings
Casequarter
Sleepwalking Through The Mekong
M80
Death Control
Kill Shaman
Lord Of The Underground: Vishnu And Magic Elixir
Alien8
Cave Rock
ESP-Disk
Volume 3: Music For Drums
Asthmatic Kitty
Abundance
Ubiquity
Ask Forgiveness
Domino
Spooky EP
Eggy
Bklyn Heavy Sounds From The County Of Kings
Bastard Jazz
Everything She Touched Turned To Ampexian
Warp
Orange EP
Self-Released
Psychic Psummer
Important
Yancey Boys
Delicious Vinyl
Kappe
Type
Hymn To The Immortal Wind
Temporary Residence
Let’s Be Realistic.
Self-Released
Cool Cats
Sub Rosa
Mouthful of Bees Afternoon Records
ARTIST
ALBUM
Various Artists
Well Hung
FALL 2009
Specialty Show Playlists
ARTIST
KTRU SUMMER Hits 2009
rice radio folio
LABEL
LABEL
Finders Keepers
Wooden Shjips
Dos
Black Moth Super Rainbow
Eating Us
Holy Mountain
Casey Foubert & James Mcalister
Vol. 3: Music for Drums
Paradox
Called to Mind
Black Dice
Repo
Various Artists
Cool Cats
William Elliot Whitmore
Animals in the Dark
Various Artists
Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story of 1970s Funky Lagos
Bruce Eisenbeil Sextet
Inner Consellation Vol. 1
Platinum Pied Pipers
Abundance
Various Artists
KTRU Local Live Vol. 1
Hearts of Palm
Trance Nipple Manifestation
Micachu
Jewellery
Alexander “Skip” Spence
Oar
Elfin Saddle
Ringing for the Begin Again
Ghost Mountain
Siamese Sailbots
Graveface
Asthmatic Kitty
End of Earth
Paw Tracks
Sub Rosa
anti
Strut
Nemu
Ubiquity
KTRU
Palmetto Space
Rough Trade
Sundazed
The Golden Hours
Spooky EP
Greg
Greg
Booker T. Jones
Potato Hole
Various Artists
The Sexual Life of the Savages:Underground Post-Punk from Sao Paulo
Mono
Hymnn to the Immoral Wind
Various Artists
Bklyn Heavy Sounds from the Country of Kings
Infant Mortality Rate
Radio-Electronics
Young Mammals
Carrots
Constellation
Self-Released
Eggy
Self-Released
anti
Soul Jazz
Temporary Residence
Bastard Jazz
Mayday
Jasper
Local Show
KTRU’s specialty shows were asked to provide the names of the albums they
are currently spinning the most, new and noteworthy releases, old favorites, or
a selection of songs most representative of their show. These playlists might
give you some ideas what each show is about at the moment—or they might
inspire you to pick up an album or two.
Africana
Artist
Album
Staff Benda Bilila
Various Artists
Oumou Sangare
Franco & TPOK Jazz
Various Artitist
Amadou and Miriam
Group Bombino
Various Artists
Cesaria Evoria
Madera Limpia
Ba Cissoko
Tres Tres Fort
Nigeria 70: Funky Lagos
Seya
Francophile
Congo 7: Rock and Rumba
Welcome to Mali
Guitars From Agadez
Lagos Chop Up
Radio Mindelo
La Coronaout
Seno
Label
Crammed Disc
Strut
World Circuit
Sterns
Syllart
Nonesuch
Sublime Frequencies
Honest Jon’s
Lusafrica
Here
Sterns
Scordatura
Artist
Album
Gyorgy Ligeti
Stanley Schumacher and the Now Music Ensemble
Michael Gordon
Morton Feldman
Luc Ferrari
Elliott Sharp
Matthew Shipp
Kol Simcha
Germaine Tailleferre
Anton Webern
Ricahrd Einhorn
Stuart Saunders Smith
Group 180
Henry Cowell
Randall Smith
Carl Stone
Matt Turner & Jeff Song
Akemi Naito
Steve Reich
Wadada Leo Smith
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Paul Cooper
Biosphere
Ellen Fullman
Skuli Sverisson
Wien Modern
Don’t Abandon Your Baby
Light is Calling
For John Cage
Les Anecdotiques
Tectonics
Harmony and Abyss
Voice of Joy
The Women’s Philharmonic
Complete Works
Voices of Light
CRUX
Group 180
Henry Cowell Piano Music
Sondes
Woo Lae Oak
Love & Fear
Mindscape
Sonic Youth: Good Bye 20th Century
Light Upon Light
Kontakte
Paul Cooper
Autor de la Lune
Suspended Music
Seremonie
Label
Deutsche Grammophon
Musickmacher Productions
Nonesuch
Hat[now]ART
Sub Rosa
Knitting Factory
Thirsty Year
World Class
Koch
Sony
Sony
O/O
Hungapoton
Smithsonian Folkways
Empreintes Digitales
Unseen Worlds
O/O
Bridge Records
SYR
Tzadik
Ecstatic Peace!
CRI
Touch
Periplum
Extreme
Genetic Memory
Artist
Album
TEF
Emeralds
Insect Warfare
Racoo-oo-oo
Noveller
Windy & Carl
Corrupted
Werewolf Jerusalem
Eloe Omoe
Niagra Falls
Tusk
Serville Sect
SUNN O))) Concrete Violin
Third Organ/Government Alpha
B L A C K I E
Kodama
Richard Young
Daniel Padden & Sarah Kenchington
Red Horse
Dylan Nyoukis
Various Artists
Charles Curse
Bhob Rainey/Angst Hase Pfeffer Nase
Spunk
Cast
Vaporizer
Insect Warfare
Racoo-oo-oo
Paint on the Shadows
Instrumentals for the Broken-Hearted
Paso Inferior
The House of Yellow Carpet
Marauders
Sequence of Prophets
The Resisting Dreamer
Stratospheric Passenger
Monoliths & Dimensions
Basement
Third Organ/Government Alpha 7”
Death Tape
Turning Leaf Migrations
High Sun Energy/States of Time
The Bellow Switch
Red Horse
Inside Wino Lodge
La Bamba
Rain in Skull
Split 7”
Kantarell
Label
Pitchphrase
Ecstatic Peace!
625 Thrashcore
Not Not Fun
No Fun Productions
Blue Flea
Insolito
Swim Harder
ADR
Honeymoon Music
Hydra Head
Ecstatic Peace!
Southern Lord
Heavy Leather
Dada Drumming
Heavy Leather
Olde English Spelling Bee
Dull Knife
Shadazz
Rel
No Fun Productions
Ultra Eczema
Olde English Spelling Bee
Sedimental
Rune Grammofon
Jazz/Improvised Music
Artist
Album
Flow Trio
Don Cherry
Sun Ra
Christof Kurzmann & Burkhard Stangl
Evan Parker
Per Anders Nilsson, Sten Sandell & Raymond Strid
People Band
Rodrigo Amado, Kent Kessler & Paal Nilssen-Love
John Butcher Group
Sun Ra & His Solar Arkestra
Sophie Agnel
Peter Evans
Full Blast
Ray Warleigh
John Edwards
Agustí Fernández
Alexander von Schlippenbach
London & Glasgow Improvisers Orchestras
Tetuzi Akiyama, Kevin Corcoran & Christian Kiefer
Charles Mingus
John Surman
The Fonda/Stevens Group
Bossa Nostra
Ben Neill
Medeski, Martin & Wood
Rejuvenation Live At Cafe Montmartre, Volume III
Sleeping Beauty
Neuschnee
Saxophone Solos
Beam Stone
69/70
The Abstract Truth
Somethingtobesaid
Secrets Of The Sun
Capsizing Moments
Nature/Culture
Black Hole
Rue Victor Massé
Volume
Un Llamp Que No S’acaba Ma
Friulian Sketches
Separately & Together
Low Clouds Mean Death
Mingus Ah Um (Legacy Edition)
Brewster’s Rooster
Memphis
Jackie
Night Science
Radiolarians III
Label
ESP-Disk
ESP-Disk
Art Yard
Erstwhile
psi
psi
Emanem
European Echoes
Weight Of Wax
Atavistic
Emanem
Emanem
Atavistic
psi
psi
psi
psi
Emanem
Digitalis
Columbia
ECM
Playscape
Putumayo
Thirsty Ear
Indirecto
Funk & Soul
4
Artist
Album
DJ Day
Visioneers
Shafiq Husayn
Whitefield Brothers
Reginald Milton & The Soul Jets
Diamond District
Free Design
Clutchy Hopkins & Lord Kenjamin
Change
Dam Funk
The Latin Project
Ralph Macdonald
Ladybug Mecca
Sa Ra Creative Partners
The US
J. Rocc
DJ Sun
M64
Bobbi Humphrey
The Repercussions
Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestroes
Black Spade
Mayer Hawthorne
Little Dragon
Cd5
Rollin for the Ride
Shafiq En A-Free-Ka
In the Raw
Funk Spectrum
In the Ruff
Now Sound Redesigned
Music Is My Medicine
This is Your Time
Toeachizown Vol 1: Latrik
Musica de la Noche
Jam on the Groove
Trip the Light Fantastic
Nuclear Evolution
Let’s Do It Today (Procrastination) Hella International
Monday Drive EP
Record Breakin 7” Series
Satin Doll
Promise Me Nothing
Rich Medina & Bobbitto Present the Connection
To Serve With Love
A Strange Arrangement
Remixes EP
Label
Self-Released
Omniverse
Plug Research
Now Again
bbe
Oddisee
Light in the Attic
Ubiquity
Atlantic
Stones Throw
TLP
Alpha Omega
Nu Paradigm
Ubiquity
bbe
Stones Throw
Alternate Take
Record Breakin
Blue Note
Reprise
R2
Om
Stones Throw
Self-Released
5
Artist
Album
Two Star Symphony
J.W. Americana
Hickoids
Young Mammals
Sprawl
Paris Falls
Ak-47
Giant Princess
Woozy Helmet
Guitars
Indian Jewelry
Born Lairs
Strange Boys
Something Fierce
Jinkies
American Analog Set
Archie Bell and the Drells
D.R.I.
Japanic
Fired for Walking
Sideshow Tramps
Marked Men
Golden Arm Trio
Daniel Johnston
Foot Patrol
Crack Pipes
Two Star Symphony
J.W. Americana
Hickoid Heaven
Carrots
The Deflorist
Vol. III
Bloodstains Across Texas
Summer Exposure
Get Down
White Night White Night
Invasive Exotics
Ragged Island
And Girls Club
There Are No Answers
Sea of Tranquility
Set Free
Tighten it Up
Dealing With It
Red Book
Fired for Walking
Medicine Show
Ghost
Why the Sea is Salt
Yip Jump Music
Chrisspy EP
Snakes in my Veins
Label
Self-Released
Self-Released
West World
Self-Released
Rastaman Work Ethic
Paper Weapons
Bloodstains
Art Storm
Self-Released
GTRS
Monitor
Cutthroat
In the Red
Dirtnap
Everest
Arts and Crafts
Rhino
Beer City
Plethorazine
Four Letter Music
Self-Released
Dirtnap
Loveletter/Shamrock
Eternal Yip Eye
Self-Released
Emperor Jones
Spoken Word
Artist
Album
Scooter
Bryan Lewis Saunders
Cripsin Hellio
Daevid Allen
Miranda July
Studs Terkel
Infant Mortality Rate
Howard Zinn
Raymond Scott
Steven Jesse Bernstein
KRS-ONE
Muzak John
Flossie & The Unicorns
Moyers, Bill & Joseph Campbell
Bob Marsh
Various Artists
Allen Funt
Lecture on Nothing
Edward R. Murrow
Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen
David Rosenboom
Robert Francis Kennedy
The Tape-Beatles
Audior Shorts
Acksisofevil
N1-N4 Variations
Standup Tragedy
The Big Problem Does Not Equal the Solution
Restless
The Mystery Disque No. 7
Bananamoon Obscura
Binet-Simon Test
Kill Rock Stars
Voices of Our Time
HighBridge Audio
Blimp Needle
Mayday
Artists in a Time of War
Alternative Tentacles
Manhattan Research Inc.
BASTA
Prison
Sub Pop
The Fundamentals of Hip-Hop KRS-ONE/The Temple of Hip-Hop
Lo-fi ? Acoustic
Self-Released
Flossie & The Unicorns
Hanson
The Power of Myth
HighBridge Audio
Viovox
Public Eyesore
Great Speeches of the 20th Century
Rhino
The Candid Microphone
Columbia Masterworks
Lecture on Nothing
Popmafia
I Can Hear It Now
Columbia Masterworks
Gallant Men: Stories of the American Adventure
Capitol
Brainwave Music
EM
A Memorial
Columbia Masterworks
Music With Sound
Death of Vinyl
Label
Post Punk
Artist
Album
Warsaw
The Mob
Zoomers
Suicide
The Incredible Casuals
Y Pants
Fad Gadget
Anarchitex
TuxedoMoon
Joy Division
A Certain Ratio
Culturcide
Lizzer Mercier
MyDolls
Devo
Scritti Politti
Bauahus
Throbbing Gristle
Clones
Mission of Burma
DNA
Ludus
Gange of Four
Public Image Limited
ESG
An Ideal for Killing
Let the Tribe Increase
Exist
Suicide
Picnic Ape 7”
Y Pants
GAG
Live 2008
Buy or Die ’80
Closer
Early
Year One
Best Of
A World of Her Own
New Traditionalists
Early
Terror Couple 7”
Greatest Hits
We Got Party
The Truth About Burma
On DNA
The Damage
Entertainment!
Live in Tokyo
A South Bronx Story 2
Label
Warsaw
Broken Rekids
Uncalled For Music
Red Star
Eat
Periodic Document
Mute
Self-Released
Ralph
Qwest
Soul Jazz
Culturcide
ZE
MyDolls
Warner Bros.
Rough Trade
4.AD
Mute
Mystic
Rhino
No More
LTM
Warner Bros.
Virgin
Soul Jazz
Chickenskin Music
Artist
Album
The Persuasions
Jonathan Richman
Nathan Rogers
Beyond the Pale
String Sisters
Slaid Cleaves
Sarah Jarosz
Greg Brown
Mike Rickard
Grant Peeples
Richard Dobson
Jason Eklund
David Olney
Porterdavis
Byrd & Street
The Pines
The Wailin’ Jennys
Jonathan Edwards
Koerner Ray and Glover
Charlie Musselwhite
Willie Murphy
Katy Moffat
Liz Meyer
Booka and the Flaming Geckos
The Bottle Rockets
The Persuasions Sing Zappa
Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild
The Gauntlet
Postcards
Live
Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away
Song Up In Her Head
Dream City
Living Room Songs
Pawnshop
From a Distant Shore
Walkin’ in Woody’s Shoes
Ol’ Diz a Musicak Baseball Story
Porterdavis
Love Broke the Fall
Tremolo
Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House
Rollin’ Along
Blues, Rags and Hollers
Ace of Harps
Piano Hits: Willie Murphy
Fewer Things
The Storm
Baghdad, Texas
Lean Forward
Label
Earthbeat
Vapour
Borealis
Borealis
Compass
Music Road
Sugar Hill
Red House
Self
Gatorbone
Brambus
Muszeekans
Self-Released
Self-Released
Self-Released
Red House
Red House
Strictly Country
Red House
Alligator
Atomic Theory
Zeppelin
Strictly Country
Loudhouse
Bloodshot
Metal
Artist
Album
Mortuary Drape
Dr. Shrinker
God Macabre
Martire
Embrace of Thorns
Adversarial
Crucifier
Abhorer
Pentacle
Avenger
Flame
Devastator
Severance
Nervochaos
Trench Hell
Destruction
Immolation
Magnanamus
Electrocution
Thy Infernal
Incantation
Mourn Path
Split 7”
The Winterlong 7”
Martire 91 EP
For I See Death in Their Eyes
Thralls
Trambled Under Cloven Hooves
Upheaval of Blasphemy 7”
Under the Black Cross
Feast of Anger Joy of Despair
Into the Age of Fire
The Summoning
Abysmal Ascent 7”
Quarrel in Hell
Southern Cross Ripper
Infernal Overkill
Here in After
Unchaining the Fevers and Plagues
Inside the Unreal
Satan’s Wrath
Mortal Throne of Nazarene
Label
Iron Tyrant
Revenge
Blood Harvest
Nuclear War Now!
Iron Bonehead
Self-Released
Paragon
Shivadarshina
Ibex Moon
Deathgasm
Iron Pegasus
Old Cemetary
Drowned
Ibex Moon
Hells Headbangers
SPV
Metal Blade
Blood Harvest
Rosemary
Moribund
Relapse
Programming Guide
Programming Guide
rice radio folio
FALL 2009
Specialty Shows
rice radio folio
Genetic Memor y
Chickenskin
Chickenskin Music airs Thursday Evenings on KTRU from 8 – 10 p.m. The show gets
its name from an old blues expression referring to music that gives you ‘chickenskin’, or
goose bumps. At the beginning it was collage of bluegrass, folk, rockabilly, classical and
jazz. The idea comes from a thought that all music from A to Z is related, and can be played
together. It’s just a matter of how you get from A to Z. Live guests have always been a part
of the show. Over the years we’ve hosted Lyle Lovett, Eric Taylor, Jason Eklund, The Neville
Brothers, James McMurtry, Preston Reed, Sue Foley, Tish Hinojosa, Ani di Franco… and
the list goes on.
Specialty shows make up around 30 percent of our programming hours,
most during the evening hours between 5 p.m. and 1 a.m. These shows endeavor to play unexposed music from genres other than rock. Some of our
specialty shows, such as Chickenskin and Jazz, have been going strong for
over 20 years; others, like Africana, are fairly new. KTRU strives to play the
greatest variety of music with the least trash of any station in the Houston
vicinity, and specialty shows help us toward this goal.
Electronic
Africana
The African/African Diaspora show explores the music of Africans and communities
of African descent wherever one finds them. This last is what is sometimes referred to as
“the African diaspora.” Africa is home to some of the world’s greatest musical traditions.
Our goal on the Africana show is to expose introduce the Rice community listeners to the
rich diversity of some of the world’s greatest, and still evolving musical traditions. We to
the rich diversity of these still evolving musical cultures. Hosts Joe and Chris have spent
years collecting African music, and we play everything from traditional and folkloric music
to the classic recordings of the sixties and seventies to today’s dance hits. Not only do we
present the music of 54 African countries, but we will also explore African music in the
Americas, Europe and the Indian Ocean: everything from reggae, to jazz, to Colombian
cumbias, and Cape Verdean mornas, and more. Tune in to KTRU every Saturday from
12:00 – 3:00 p.m. and join Joe and Chris us on an exciting journey into the music of the
Africa and its Diaspora.
Every Monday night from 9 – 10 p.m., the Americana show explores the roots and history
of American music (and sometimes, American history through music). For example, on
MLK Day, we played speech excerpts from MLK, RFK’s famous speech on the assassination,
plus songs by Otis Spann, Nina Simone, the Staple Singers and others who recorded civil
rights and MLK related material. On the birthday of the Houston blues legend Big Mama
Thornton (now deceased), we played a selection of her music, and on Election Day we’ll play
appropriately themed songs (Blue Mountain’s “Jimmy Carter,” the Austin Lounge Lizards’
“Ballad of Ronald Reagan”). We try to cover as many American genres as possible—jazz,
blues, bluegrass, gospel, cajun, zydeco, rockabilly, country, western swing, etc. Other themes
have included Halloween, Veteran’s Day, Sarg Records (an obscure but important indie label
from central Texas), the best of Bob Wills, the accordion, Motown, songs about food, Sam
Cooke (on his birthday) and Townes Van Zandt (on the anniversary of his death).
Hip Hop
First there was the theremin, humming like a flying saucer to the wave of a hand. Then
along came giant modular synths and Australian computer music. As the twentieth century
trickled onward, electronic music developed from an academic experiment to the dominant
force on many dance floors. It has rewritten pop music, re-arranged the classical canon and
played a key part in the development of hip hop. But today, electronic music has emerged
into an abundance of music in a genre all its own. Undanceable IDM, blast-happy breakcore,
synth-buzzing electro, glitch, lap-pop and more. You can sample the spectrum every Friday
evening from 7 – 9 p.m. on the Electronic show. As a special treat, on several occasions,
the electronic show has presented electronic works from students in the Shepherd School
of Music here at Rice.
The Vinyl Frontier airs every Tuesday night from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m. The show primarily
covers the latest releases from the underground hip-hop world with the occasional classic
thrown in. Multiple styles are covered—from abstract ruminations backed by laptop glitch
to gritty street tracks from upcoming MCs and even a club banger thrown in for good
measure.
Select invited local DJs will occasionally appear on the show to illustrate their turntablism skills. Short interviews are also sometimes conducted with local and national hip-hop
acts, and the roots of hip-hop and rap are explored by delving into the funk, soul, and jazz
breaks that started it all.
Funk & Soul
Jazz/Improvised Music
The Funk show airs every Thursday evening, from 7 – 8 p.m. What began as monstrous
drum lines, super rhythmic electric guitar rifts, and an extra tight brass section has since
evolved into one (wo)man bands intent on conquering the same soulful journey foreshadowed by their imaginative ancestors decades ago. Henceforth, each week, the Funk show
sets out to pay proper homage to the commendable funk purveyors, while acknowledging
the soul scholars of today and introducing the mission controllers of tomorrow. No corner
of the world or era of time is left uncovered. The declaration remains: “One Nation Under
A Groove.”
Americana
Genetic Memory is a series of three-hour experiments within the sonic void. It is a continuously redefining aural enigma, wrapped around a divergent collection of reference points,
from percussive implosions to explosive decompressions, from trepanned sound poetry to
doomed Grimmrobe sludge, from the meticulous and improvised to the orchestrated and
chaotic, from old school industrial to new school drone, from free-jazz freakouts to freaky
prog noodlings, from primitive electrons to digital dust devils, from Dadaist spasms to Actionist Grand Guignols and a myriad of tangents in between. A rotating crew of hosts and
hostesses gives each show a constantly shifting center of gravity, with each DJ formulating
his or her own definition of “music minus one chromosome.” On Monday nights, from 10
p.m. – 1 a.m., follow the unraveling strands of Genetic Memory.
The General Shift
What does a general shift, which makes up around 70 percent of our schedule,
sound like? The answer is as varied as the DJs that spin tracks, but there are certain
commonalities.
Our “playlist” consists of around 100 albums. General shift shows include 4
playlist tracks per hour, plus one each shift. The hope is for DJs to try out new and
challenging music, while leaving them by and large free to select their own tracks.
You also will hear at least 2 tracks from underrepresented genres each hour, including blues, jazz, world music from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, improvised and experimental music, and even pure noise. It’s not uncommon to hear a modern classical
track, followed by indie pop, chased with drumming out of Cameroon, followed by hip
hop. It’s eclectic; it’s challenging; it’s KTRU.
Blues
Join us on Wednesday nights for an exploration and insightful look at the world of blues.
Taking the genre beyond 12 bars and 3 chords, this two hour program brings the stark
beauty of Billie Holiday, the pleading of James Brown, the delta sound of Robert Johnson,
and the relentless sounds of Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Rush, and many others to one meeting place
here on KTRU. It’s Blues in Hi-Fi; Wednesdays 7 – 9 p.m. on KTRU Houston!
Please note that once our newest crop of DJs us on air, all spaces marked “Robo” and “WRN” will be filled with live bodies.
The KTRU Jazz and Improvised Music Program presents the living legends, unsung
heroes, rising stars and timeless pioneers in the world of creative improvisation, from the
innovations of classic American jazz to the rigorous explorations of today’s European and
Japanese free improvisers. From New York’s downtown sounds to regional styles and beyond.
The Jazz and Improvised Music Program presents the vast spectrum of the music of the
moment which you can hear broadcasting every Sunday from noon until 9 p.m.
Kids
Do you remember Saturday morning cartoons? Do you remember the joyous anticipation that you felt on Friday night, knowing that Heaven was only a few hours away? Well,
you can feel that joy, again! Every Saturday, the KTRU Kids’ Show digs up the songs that
made your childhood. Old favorites and forgotten memories are intermixed with new classics and rarities that you may have never heard before—and they are all family friendly
and youth oriented! Hear cartoon theme songs, stories, children’s artists, child artists, and
more! Hosted by the lovable DJ crew of Jane, Jenny and Tom, it’s sure to be the most fun
you’ve had on a Saturday in a long time! (Don’t forget to let your kids listen, too!). Saturdays,
noon – 1 p.m., only on KTRU!
Local
The Local Show brings Houston musicians to the forefront, with occasional forays into the
rest of the Lone Star State. From Lightnin’ Hopkins to Jana Hunter, from The Red Krayola
to The Fatal Flying Guilloteens, and from ZZ Top to Drop Trio, the show presents over five
decades of Bayou City punk, jazz, blues, psych, noise, and everything in between. Tune
in from 8 –10 p.m. every Tuesday to delve deep into the scene. Bi-weekly feature shows
broadcast live sets and interviews with Houston heavyweights and newcomers alike, direct
from our studio. Listen and discover the incredible bands you share this city with.
Metal
1 am
2 am
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
General
Shift
General
Shift
General
Shift
General
Shift
General
Shift
General
Shift
General
Shift
2 am
3 am
3 am
4 am
1 am
ROBO
ROBO
ROBO
ROBO
ROBO
Marc M.
ROBO
4 am
5 am
5 am
6 am
6 am
Andrew L
Kelsey Y.
Bob S.
Chris C.
Ira A.
Nancy N.
Preston P.
11 am
12 pm
Sofia M.
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
8 pm
9 pm
Michael J.
Daniel R.
Megan W.
Chase L.
Carina B.
General Shift
Rachel O.
Lauren P.
Malinda G.
Michael S.
Burton D.
Cole P.
World
Music
Post-Punk
12 am
General Shift
Tobias P.
Americana
Genetic
Memory
Alyssa I.
Cory D.
Gary P.
Harold H.
Joey Y.
Kristie L.
Austin W.
Anidya S.
Kendra E.
Pam T.
Patricia B.
Anneli R.
Ryan O.
Steven B.
News
Reggae
2 pm
3 pm
Scordatura
Jazz &
Improvised
Music
4 pm
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
Spoken Word
8 pm
Miguel Q.
Ayn M.
Chickenskin
Nick S.
Katie M.
11 am
1 pm
Africana
Electronic
Treasures of
the Sixites
Hip-Hop
10 am
12 pm
Kids
Revelry Report
Funk
Local
Jane F
Jane L.
Scordatura
Blues
10 pm
11 pm
General Shift
Sophie L.
Julie A.
3 pm
4 pm
General Shift
Navrang
1 pm
2 pm
8 am
9 am
9 am
10 am
MK Ultra
Need a fix of the latest in underground electronic dance music? Not to worry - MK Ultra
has you covered, and we’re one of the very few Houston radio shows that does. Every Friday
night from 9 p.m. – 12 a.m., we showcase three hours of live in-station DJ-mixes from the
cream of the crop of local acts (and every now and then some international acts). We hit all
the sub-genres, whether it’s house, drum n bass, progressive, breaks, etc. You can check
us out on the web, at www.mkultra.us for recordings, details on sending promos, and how
to submit DJ demos.
7 am
7 am
8 am
From The Depths, KTRU’s metal show, features 3 hours of underground metal, without
a trace of commercial pseudo nu-metal. Death metal, black metal, thrash metal, raw, ugly,
and heavy, with an impressive amount of vinyl: 7 inches, 12 inches, etc. Real metal from
real metal-heads. From the old school to the newest underground releases. Sundays from
10 p.m. – 1 a.m.
9 pm
10 pm
MK Ultra
Jerroid D.
Stephanie M.
Hardcore
Metal
Les B., Kevin B.
KTRU 91.7 FM RICE RADIO CURRENT ON-AIR SCHEDULE
6
11 pm
12 am
Mutant Hardcore Flower Hour
Once upon a time, when today’s college freshmen were little more than a staring complex
and a bad perm, alternative, indie rock, garage, emo, grunge, and hardcore all had the same
name: punk. Every Thursday night from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m., the Mutant Hardcore Flower Hour
explores the genre that gave birth to all the lame bands that annoy your parents, your roommates, and your friends, proving that nothing is more cathartic than giving everyone the
finger at the same time, including yourself. Like Steven Van Zandt, we play the Ramones,
everyone who influenced the Ramones, and everyone the Ramones influenced. If it’s fast
and loud, if it’s angry, if it rocks, we’ve got it—but it’s more complicated than that. D. Boon
of the Minutemen put it simply: Punk is whatever we make it to be.
FALL 2009
Rice Radio Reggae
Wednesdays from 5 – 7 p.m., KTRU’s Rice Radio Reggae takes listeners on a tour of some
of the many facets of Reggae music. While having its origins in Jamaica, Reggae now comes
from countries across the globe, and each week Rice Radio Reggae attempts to present an
overview of the genre. You’ll hear the Roots Reggae Bob Marley made famous, instrumental
Dub, Dancehall, and more. It’s eclectic (just like KTRU!) and, who knows? You could just
hear a side of Reggae you never knew existed!
Revelr y Report
The Revelry Report airs Friday nights from 6 – 7 p.m. and focuses primarily on local events
in and around Texas. In the past, the Revelry Report focused on just about everything,
including Austin City Limits, national art openings (occurring locally), SXSW (South by
Southwest, for newcomers), College Music Journal and a number of major benefits for
various charities in and around town.
In its current incarnation, the show also places a strong emphasis on live studio performances by local and touring musicians, interviews with artists and musicians, and an
overall coverage of events in Houston. By doing so, the Revelry Report has narrowed its
focus, aiming to introduce our audience to alternative outlets for nightlife while exposing
the many wonderful events in Houston that might otherwise go under the radar.
Spoken Word
The Spoken Word show offers performances from musicians, writers and poets, and
politicians and random diatribes. Saturdays 7 – 8 p.m.
Ska
Tune in every Sunday evening from 9 – 10 p.m., as we explore the origins and reincarnations of ska. Ska was the direct predecessor of Reggae, and is characterized by upbeat
emphases, high quality horn sections, and influences from other traditions, including jazz,
soul, punk and more. It sounds like reggae, but often with a quicker tempo, and built to be
danced to. From the rude sounds of the 1960s Jamaican originators, to the two-tone UK
anti-racist ska of the 70s and 80s, through the third wave ska of the 1990s from America
and across the globe, we seek out the best, the obscure, and the unusual from around the
world, as we give you an international take on the scene. Rude!
Scordatura
The Scordatura Show explores modern and contemporary classical music: i.e. experimental, electronic, or otherwise unusual music voiced for more or less traditionally
orchestral instruments, generally since 1900. Representative artists would include Glass,
Reich, Cage, Stockhausen, Pierre Schaeffer, and the like, though we try to emphasize lesser
known material, as our show bleeds across into the glitchiness of the Electronic Show, the
experimentation of the Jazz Show, and the noisiness of Genetic Memory. We also regularly
feature material composed or performed by members of Rice’s Shepherd School of Music,
including live performances.
Treasures of the Sixties
If you enjoy the music of the Sixties, but are sick and tired of the same old, played-out
rotation of classic rock radio, you’re not alone. Every Wednesday night from 9 – 11 p.m.,
the Treasures of the Sixties Show revisits the decade of boundless energy with an ear for
what sounds fresh. You’ll hear cult artists such as Spirit and Love who deserve more, well,
love. We like to play Texas legends like the 13th Floor Elevators, Sir Douglas Quintet, and
Mayo Thompson. You’ll even hear album cuts from the likes of the Kinks and Otis Redding,
artists with much deeper catalogues than commercial radio would have you believe. And
with the armies of pop culture archeologists out there who make new discoveries every
week, we’ll prove the saying, “If you haven’t heard it before, it’s good as new.” Fight the
tyranny of Oldies radio! Catch the Sixties show on Wednesdays.
World
From ancient Asian traditions to highly innovative Brazilian jazz, the KTRU World
Music Show covers the globe. Natural indigenous music of the rainforest gets equal
play with exciting Indian Bhangra and African pop. From the most talented musicians
the world has to offer to the most joyous and liveliest, listeners can hear it all on Monday nights from 7 – 9 p.m. A rotating volunteer staff with experience in international
music and cultural education curates diverse set lists each week. We present acclaimed
musicians like Talip Ozkan, Ali Farka Toure, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and Mongo Santamaria, as well as many underrepresented and independent musicians around the
world. Listeners will find out about world music events in Houston and the surrounding
region. Occasionally the World Music Show may highlight regional events that feature
international music, as well as Native American powwows and regional traditions with
international origins.
Navrang
The Navrang (“Nine Colors”) Show covers the music of the Indian subcontinent, naturally
with a focus on music from films, but also capturing the diversity of the region with Indian
classical, folk, Indipop, Asian underground and “Western fusion” music out of the region in
a “spicy musical curry.” Check it out Saturday mornings, 10 a.m. – noon.
KTRU News
KTRU News focuses on local (and especially Rice Community) leading thinkers, professors, news makers, community organizations, nonprofits, arts organizations, politicians
and the like, in a talk format, trying to capture what others might miss. If you have story
ideas or want recordings of past shows, check our page at www.ktru.org. Tune in Fridays
from 5 – 6 p.m.
Post Punk
The Modern Dance, KTRU’s post-punk show, airs every Tuesday night from 7 – 8
p.m.. Focusing on underground music of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, we play all genres of
post-punk, from the mutant disco of Cristina to the avant garage of Pere Ubu. Despite their
differences, almost every artist that we play exhibits a willingness to play with—and rebel
against—pop music clichés. Take the rebellion and brashness of punk rock and add an
experimental aesthetic edge and you have post-punk.
In addition to playing mixed sets and taking requests from our listeners, we often build
the post-punk show around a theme. This year, for example, we have devoted entire shows
to the Rough Trade label, to inaccessible music, and to synth pop. Tune into the post-punk
show and you’ll get “The Modern Dance.”
7
album reviews
album reviews
rice radio folio
FALL 2009
Artist: Uchpa
Title: Lo Mejor de Uchpa
Label: Emin Music Colombia
By Carina Baskett
Artist: The Press Fire!
Title: Es Slash Tee
Label: Self-released
By Brittany Wise
The Press Fire! is a female-singer fronted group based in Los
Angeles, and their electrifying new LP Es Slash Tee features their
unique electropunk style. Recorded and produced by Aaron Buckley
and Timothy James of LA groups Anavan and The Movies respectively, EEs Slash Tee was released on July 7 of this year, but draws
heavily from the sounds of the 70s punk rebellion. The album’s infectious energy makes the
listener want to jump around and break things, so be aware of where you decide to give this
one a listen. Frontwoman Merisa Libbey packs a powerful punch with her forward lyrics and
energetic yet strangled screeches that vibe the positive energy that embodies punk. A registered
dental hygienist, Libbey joined The Press Fire! back in 2004, and with her onboard the energy
level jumped dramatically to reveal a whole new sound for the group. A little sleuthing on the
Internet led to a fun factoid: rumor has it that Libbey “found the band through Craigslist by
searching the keyword ‘Bikini Kill’”; as it would turn out, the promoter describes the group as
a “dancier Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a sassier Bikini Kill, and a meaner Moving Units”.
Es Slash Tee kicks off with “143,” a synth-heavy track that has a crisp and clean sound
compared to the rest of the album. Of all of the songs, it’s the easiest on the ears and remains
resolute in its electronic and methodical direction. The next two tracks follow with a harder
sound complete with screeches and a carefree don’t-give-a-&*%! attitude. Following is “Hipster
Crickets,” a standout with erratic guitar riffs and a thumping bass line. “Party Fowl” proclaims
“You’re not invited here to my party” over and over, and the party in this song is fueled by
grungy guitar pickings and skittish singing that induces frenetic dancing. The album ends
with a solid closer track, “Pushed Too Far,” which opens with noisy, unrestrained emotion
before screeching to a halt halfway through, then gliding to the end with a somber chorus of
a sustained electronic melody that could attempt to justify the “electro” part of TPF’s genre
category. It concludes with confusing, barely coherent robotic vocals that starkly contrast with
the organic, coarse vocals that are belted out for every other track.
TPF started off in the east LA scene, plavying shows at skate-punk house parties, and have
since grown to be a familiar face in the LA area. They continue to expand and recently toured
the West Coast, hitting cities that include Seattle, Portland, and Olympia. TPF is breaking into
the national scene, which will please fans that want to experience one of their epic shows,
which are said to match the chaotic, dancey nature of their sound. Es Slash Tee is available
on their website www.thepressfire.net for $7, and the cover art of a cartoon T-Rex coming out
of an explosion is probably a fitting visual to represent the listening experience.
If you hear Uchpa on KTRU and like it, I know of only two
places where you can buy one of the band’s albums: Cusco and
Ollantaytambo. Both are in Peru. Sorry. Uchpa (“ashes”) has been
around since 1994, but the band doesn’t have much of an online
presence. So in lieu of their story, here’s mine:
After a grueling, shower-free three-day hike through the Andes, all I wanted to do in Ollantaytambo was collapse into a chair to wait for the train to the next town. We stumbled
into a place called Quechua Blues Bar that was just opening, and sat on the dirty sheepskincovered chairs outside. As I ordered a “Macho Tea,” a local coca cocktail, I realized that the
gravelly voice coming over the speakers was singing neither English nor Spanish. I asked the
bartender if it was Quechua, and he nodded while giggling girlishly and staring at me with
eyes that had clearly seen way too many drugs. He oozed non-sobriety.
Quechua is an indigenous South American language that many Peruvians have spoken
since the Incans reigned. Naturally, I immediately determined to get the music for KTRU. KTRU
has a lot of Latin American music and a lot of blues, but definitely no blues sung in Quechua.
Guillermo the bartender told me that I could find it in Cusco… but I didn’t have time to look
there. “Are you sure,” I pressed, “that you don’t have a copy I can buy here?”
“I might have one at home,” he said, and wandered off for a while. Luckily we were the
only customers, because no one else was working. He returned with a burned disc marked
“Uchpa” in smeared permanent marker. I paid about $7, and Guillermo kindly threw in the
frayed CD cover, which I later realized had come from a different album.
The album, a Best Of, is actually a mixture of blues and rock. The first track, “Perú Llaqta,”
starts out as a nice showcase of both those influences, but I’m not a big fan of the children’s
choirs that appear late in the song. “Meike” is an improvement: after a long guitar intro, there
are some spoken lyrics and what I think is a balled; it makes me want to wave a lighter around.
Several of the tracks that rock a little more, like “Wakcha Asikuy,” show a clear Led Zeppelin
influence (but who doesn’t?).
Overall, I prefer the blues songs; some of the blues-tinged rock sounds too similar. But
maybe that’s just because my ear is more used to rock and is just starting to get into blues.
I love the angry blues of “Pawamustin” and “Wayrapim Qaparichkan,” although the guitar is
simply standard. “Intipa Lluqsinan Wasi” sounds just like Dylan’s version of “House of the
Rising Sun,” and I would love to know if it’s a direct translation or if it has a Peruvian twist.
But it makes me wonder if any of the other tracks are Quechua covers of American songs
that I don’t know. My favorite track is “Sapay Kani”; though the singer’s voice may be harsh,
it’s passionate. That’s what I love about this band. Even though I can’t understand a word, I
get it, because the singer is so caught up in the emotions of each song.
Lo Mejor de Uchpa is for when you want to add some Incan spice to your rock and/or
blues. And don’t forget: the next time you’re in Peru, look for some more Quechua blues music
for KTRU, and tell Guillermo I said hi.
Artist: The Catalyst
Title: Swallow Your Teeth
Label: The Perpetual Motion Machine/Sons of Vesta
By Lance Higdon
After a steady seven years of touring and releasing albums at
a healthy clip, Richmond, Virginia’s The Catalyst have gifted the
world with Swallow Your Teeth, one of the most technically adept
and diverse hardcore albums of the year. Co-released by The
Perpetual Motion Machine and Sons Of Vesta, it should dispel
any lingering notions that American hardcore is invariably fast, loud and stupid.
The Catalyst combines the best elements of the last 20 years of hardcore on Swallow
Your Teeth. The sludgy Southern breakdowns of “Lars Ulrich’s 1986 Funeral (It Should
Have Been You)” intersect with the start-stop patterns carried out by Botch and Deadguy
in the late 90s. The ghost of metal’s golden age passes through in the pentatonic riffs of
“Werewolves Of Washington,” only to be spooked away by a thrashy transition to one of the
most introspective post-rock parts this side of Isis.
Eric Smith and Michael Backus trade off on vocals throughout the album, Smith’s
leather-lunged tenor counterbalanced nicely by Backus’ baritone bellow. Their vocal
interplay is matched by instrumental prowess, as they rivet their guitar and basslines into
some truly off-the-wall contrapuntal runs before easing into waves of delay-blanketed bliss.
The whole affair is anchored in the dual drumming of Kevin Broderick and Jamie Faulstich
(Faulstich also features on second guitar in places), pounding out patterns not out of place
on a Coalesce full-length.
Smith’s lyrics display a similar dexterity, marrying aphoristic turns of phrase to personal
and political diatribes. He calls out scene social climbers on “Lars Ulrich’s 1986 Funeral (It
Should Have Been You)” (“I want to participate/You just want to play”), corrupt policymakers
on Capitol Hill in “Werewolves Of Washington (“The werewolves of Washington howl, howl,
howl beneath the pale moon / I wonder why they don’t notice black clouds reversed in the
reflecting pool / but maybe they do”) and the manipulators of industry and media on “Too
Big To Fail” (“I know what you want us to see / repetition creates belief/forked tongue falls
out / flat lies flatlined/nice try, no dice”). Lest such lines make the band appear overly dour,
song titles like “Assholier Than Thou” and “42012” prove a measure of tongue-in-cheek
comic relief.
The real secret to the record’s success, however, lies in its sequencing. Despite
displaying such a plethora of styles, the songs take their time in transitioning from one to the
next. The Catalyst prefers the long pan to the jumpcut. Rather than feeling disoriented by a
record that starts with the feedback scour and ends with a single-note pulse, the listener is
treated to an album that revels as much in nuance and space as volume and speed. Pressed
to black and purple-swirled vinyl & featuring a cover painting from the depths of someone’s
b-movie fever dream, Swallow Your Teeth may be the best hardcore record of 2009.
Artist: Daevid Allen & Das
Title: The Mystery Disque No. 7
Label: Bananamoon Obscura
By Ayn Morgan
Daevid Allen is a guitarist, singer, composer, performance artist and poet. After starting his artistic career as a child radio actor
on Australia’s 3DB, he was inspired by Beat Generation writers
and the complex philosophies and lyrical poetry of Sun Ra. In the
early 1960s, Allen performed with William Burroughs as a part of
the ‘Machine Poets’ exhibition, pioneering multimedia spoken word performances in London
and Paris. He then formed the Daevid Allen Trio, a free jazz band performing pieces based
on one of Burroughs’ novels, The Ticket That Exploded. Shortly thereafter he co-founded the
psychedelic rock groups Soft Machine (UK) and later Gong (France). Gong is often referred
to as a cult band and is now in its fortieth year of existence in several different forms.
Allen’s solo career and varied collaborations since the late 1970s have created a vast catalogue of both music and performance art. His current projects include the band University of
Errors (California), the anti-art/noise band Big City Orchestra (California) and a new incarnation
of Gong (Acid Mothers Gong) with members of the Japanese collective Acid Mothers Temple
& the Melting Paraiso U.F.O.
Released by Bananamoon Obscura, The Mystery Disc No. 7 is an intense sound collage
with Allen’s abstract and intelligent spoken word performances layered with prog rock textures
and psychedelic noise. This medley is often bombastic and highly detailed, a richly layered,
imaginative, and almost visual sonic theatre.
Pseudo-educational rants abound on this album. Highly-evolved cows secrete oil and
nuclear energy instead of milk. Museums and their employees cultivate malignant art in the
form of biological diseases to share with the masses. The earth, earning the name Pest, is the
only planet containing life and therefore death. Lyrics range from brilliant Discordian hypotheses
to basically choking out periodic table abbreviations as psychotic tai chi maneuvers. There
are also more adult-themed songs containing extreme political frustration and deviant sexual
themes.
The instrumentation is intricate and often reflects a science fiction, psychedelic and
psychotic atmosphere. In contrast to the spoken word pieces, other tracks use Allen’s voice
as an often obscured and highly processed sound element. Psychedelic and droning sound
collage blends an aggressive, soothing and sometimes manically unbound Allen with more
typical prog rock instrumentation augmented by generous layering, sampling and looping.
At age 71, Allen has a thorough discography spanning multiple genres, decades and
continents. This release is a culmination of Allen’s experience in various styles: tape work and
collage for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, free jazz philosophies, multiple projects under
the Planet Gong umbrella, abstract and political spoken word performances and other various collaborations. The Mystery Disc No. 7 will please established fans. It will also introduce
Daevid Allen’s work to new listeners receptive to his intense music and surreal lyrical imagery,
inspiring them to explore his previous works.
Eat the Crayon
rice radio folio
FALL 2009
Artist: Nomo
Title: Invisible Cities
Label: Ubiquity
By Jae Mills
Artist: Black Dice
Title: Repo
Label: Paw Tracks
By Kelsey Yule
In the forever-changing terms of survival for touring bands,
Nomo has managed to keepw their heads above water by natural
necessity. That success in itself has to do with their unusual makeup:
a nine-piece Afro-beat indie band, based out of the college digs of
Ann Arbor, Michigan. The aptly titled Invisible Cities LP is Nomo’s
fifth full-length and their fourth recorded for Ubiquity Records, and
it’s plain to see (and hear) that this is not your average everyday Afro-beat band.
In any given 30-day span, easily expect for Nomo’s tour schedule to confirm at least
20 shows played, spanning the globe many times over. Exhausting? I would think so.
However, the group has managed to use this frantic existence to their advantage. Ducking
in-and-out of cities in order to keep the lights on at home has endowed this team of musicians with a wealth of influences, all ready fodder for their ever-evolving cosmic electronic/
acoustic Afro-beat mash up. So what you have in Invisible Cities is 9 tracks of Afro, funk,
jazz, experimental (at times), and it bangs! All of this, through the use of instrumental tools
such as sawblade gamelans, Nu Tone cymbals, mbiras, in addition to your expected brass
& rhythm sections.
Hard-hitting Afro-beat grooves are immediately present within a number of Invisible Cities’ selections. “Bumbo” is made to show off Nomo’s live performance prowess… a crowd
pleaser, if you will. Trademark Fela signature stamps the percussion presence while the
horns go ablaze. Lovers of the alto will simply scream for more. The title track leans more
toward the group’s past travels: jazzier by nature with just the right amount of grit. Dig that
one, and you’ll go bananas over Nomo’s earlier offerings, for sure.
As the band continues to play more cities and venues, their scope on the art form is
constantly evolving. As a result, each track reflects a slightly different aesthetic mix. “Ma” is
all things modal, native & groovy. Simply picture a style marriage of Pharoah Sanders & Fela
Kuti and you are already halfway there. With flutes and handclaps, “Crescent” is a flight of the
imagination that evokes a peaceful Hari Krishna sensibility. “Banners On High” stresses an
instrumental militant stance familiar to their current counterparts (i.e. Antibalas), yet unique
in its own right. Meanwhile, “Elijah” manages to abandon the Afro-beat setting altogether for
a four-minute soundscape that would make both John Coltrane and Sun Ra happy. Overall,
the variety of Invisible Cities shows that Nomo’s creative growth knows no bounds.
In all honesty, many of today’s North American Afro-beat bands have the chips stacked
against them at the onset. Invisible Cities proves that Nomo is more than ready for the
challenge.
Brooklyn collective Black Dice first garnered attention in 1997 as
an angry post-hardcore punk group whose sometimes-impromptu
shows were held in places so dark and dilapidated that fans would
brag about making it out unscathed. Consisting of Eric Copeland
on vocals, Bjorn Copeland on guitar, Sebastian Blanck on bass,
and Aaron Warren (formerly Hisham Bharoocha) on drums, Black Dice took a turn towards the
ambient in 2002 with Beaches and Canyons on the DFA label. Once again, they transformed
their sound, this time into experimental noise, and have found a new home on the label Paw
Tracks. For those familiar with Paw Tracks’ star artists such as Animal Collective, Panda Bear,
and Avey Tare’s ethereal psychedelic brand of freak folk, Black Dice’s fifth studio album, Repo,
may come as a surprise. If Animal Collective is the effortlessly cool hipster, Black Dice must
be his gritty brother from the wrong side of the tracks.
On the surface, Black Dice is completely unrefined, with its sounds of abused equipment,
misshapen samples, and lack of sequencing. Yet buried beneath all the grime, a careful ear
can hear definite song structures and feel new existence being pulled, however violently,
from bits of audio ripped from radio, television, and Internet sources. The album commences
with the mechanical, repetitive, and plodding rhythms of a factory in “Nite Cream.” The track
“Glazin’” follows with what could convincingly be a broken record player in a funhouse with
reggae undertones. One of the highlights of the album, “La Cucaracha,” mixes samples from
an orgy with glitchy African-sounding guitars for an oddly danceable tune. A more laidback
track, “Idiot’s Pasture,” is like a constant yet somehow pleasant wheezing. It is followed by
“Buddy,” a short but notable track, in which the main attraction is the apparent gurgling and
burbling of a swamp creature. In “Lazy TV,” the listener can imagine a robot struggling to
speak. Feeling heavily influenced by funk, “Ultra Vomit Craze” is one of the most traditionally
musical-sounding tracks on the album. The final notes of “Gag Shack” bring the listener back
to the industrial sounds of the album’s beginning.
Give Black Dice’s Repo a listen with an open mind. Chances are you won’t find it pleasant, but it’s not meant to be. Black Dice is nothing if not deliberate in their inclusion of the
discordant, beaten down, unpolished, and offensive. It may not be your style or mine, but it’s
definitely theirs. And they know what they’re doing.
Artist: Oumou Sangare
Title: Seya
Label: Nonesuch
By Christopher Spadone
Superstar Oumou Sangare returns with an energetic and engaging collection of diverse neo-folkloric Malian music. Like all of her
work, Seya highlights the awesome range and power of Sangare’s
voice, which has earned her the nickname “the nightingale of Wassoulou” and a reputation as Africa’s greatest female singer.
In 1989 at age 21, Sangare burst on the world music stage with
one of West Africa’s biggest-selling cassettes ever, the six-track Moussoulou, later released
in the West on CD. While young, she wasn’t a manufactured pop music confection; coming
from a family of griots, or West African bards, Sangare revitalized traditional Malian styles
and ushered in a wave of female vocalists and neo-traditional ensembles on her first album.
At the height of Afro-Parisian fusions, Sangare modernized lyrical content by addressing the
concerns of women, such as the destructive impact of polygamy and forced marriage. The
aggressive sounds of her small group of folkloric musicians playing the ngoni (a banjo-like
four-string instrument), flutes, and calabash percussion broke through the synthesized productions popular at the time. The band’s tight rhythms and her soaring vocals made Sangare
stand out. Moussoulou remains an essential album.
After two more full-length releases, feature vocals on the soundtrack to the movie Beloved,
and a greatest hits collection, Sangare seemed to fade into retirement from the African music
scene and focus on becoming a businesswoman (A Chinese company has licensed her name
to sell a line of trucks in Mali) and roving UN Ambassador.
Seya is her first Western release in six years. The CD features a “who’s who” of guest
musicians, ranging from West African stars Tony Allen, Neba Solo, and Cheick Tidiane Seck
to Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley of the JB Horns. What makes the album such a joy is that
while Sangare explores new sounds and employs a wide variety of musicians, the record
remains firmly rooted in Malian traditions. Despite the horns, violins, and keyboards, this is
not a watered down fusion cross-over. Instead, the record is incredibly rich and varied, but
Sangare has the good sense to leave the ngoni and calabash percussion in center stage. While
traditional, the record is accessible; the raucous pleasures of the Malian percussion and the
virtuoso ngoni playing are evident at first listen. And thanks to extraordinary production, the
complexity of the music rewards repeated listening. Most of all, the album delivers Sangare’s
powerful vocals: while they range from gentle and haunting to raucous and funky, her voice is
always featured. The tempo and sound of the songs are consciously varied; Sangare doesn’t
front “a one note band” repeating the same song over and over. Instead, each song is a new
musical exploration with appropriate mood and style.
Lyrically, Sangare continues to address the concerns of ordinary people, especially the
women of Mali. “Wele Wele Winteou” protests early marriage, urging fathers not to marry off
their daughters until after puberty; warning “You will destroy her life.”
Seya is clearly the result of years of hard work and skillful music making. Neither a fusion
album nor a traditional folkloric record, it is a product of a mature artist making “contemporary
African music.” Oumou Sangare takes what she wants from both musical worlds; the result
is a coherent, satisfying Malian album.
Everyone should get to know Oumou Sangare, and Seya is a good place to start an exploration of Western African music. Its swirl of powerful voice, brass, percussion, and strings
creates a sound like nothing heard before.
Not your average radio news show
-Report on social issues, science, and politics at Rice,
Houston, and national level
-Or, get involved in production and editing
Recruitment Meeting:
Wed, Sept. 9, 10:00 PM
Meyer Conference Room in the RMC
-Listen Fridays at 5:00 PM
-Visit ktru.org/news for past shows and
more information
-Contact the director at lexusinabaskett@ktru.org
if you can’t make the meeting
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Music is the best medicine
The Smoking Section
Patricia Bacalao
Students Erik Tanner, Page Robinson and Austin Edwards performed as
part of The Smoking Section at last semester’s Battle of the Bands.
Houston folk-rock band Buxton took to the stage in scrubs at the 2009 Outdoor Show.
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Patricia Bacalao
Photos and Guide to music
rice radio folio
Photos and comic
SPRING 2009
rice radio folio
SPRING 2009
Free Improvisation:
A Houston Field Guide
By Michelle Yom
Everyone has a different feel for time.
Given a two o’clock appointment, some of
us will arrive 15 minutes early, some right
on time, and others fashionably late. In
most conventional musical forms, such a
variety of approaches is not very well tolerated. However, those of us interested in
free improvisation intentionally explore the
many modes of time perception, through
sound. Because free improvisation (also
called spontaneous composition) is characterized by the real time process of performance, rather than the final product, it
offers a unique opportunity for musicians
to explore their temporal sense. Disarmed
by the lack of predetermined rhythm and
form, a free improviser can allow the performance to follow his or her individual
stream of consciousness, creating highly
individual sonic experiences.
Houston’s music scene is characterized by an atmosphere of experimentation
and friendly collaboration, which makes
it the perfect breeding ground for free
improvisation. There are at least a score of
heavy hitters in the genre locally, and they
couldn’t sound more different from each
other. Here is a look at seven of them:
Doug Falk (trumpets & double bass)
Using found objects like spray bottles
on metal cans, keys scraped on music
stands, and the “Parasite,” a toilet scrubber
attached to his bass pickup, Doug’s music
is often angular and fragmented. Doug’s
time marches forward in driven bass lines,
rushes by in unexpected intervals, and
disintegrates into crumbles of residual
quiet melodies.
www.dougfalk.com, www.myspace.
com/nonsensemusic
ment, Ryan’s improvisations now include
“wall of sound” moments and textural
vocal additions (reflecting his classical
voice training). His pieces are tightly
structured with clearly narrated exposition and buildup of intensification to the
climactic conclusion.
Lance Higdon
I asked Lance, who is also a KTRU DJ,
and always working on an eclectic variety
of projects, to do a gig with me before ever
hearing him play, because I was intrigued
by his quick but coherent temperament.
Playing in a duo with him left me with
much the same impression: intense, considerate, and hyper. In free improvisations
he’s completely absorbed by listening for
manifestations of unexplored vocabulary
on the drum set, which has led him to use
everything from wire hangers to pencils
as drumsticks.
www.myspace.com/wallwithoneside
Lucas Gorham (guitar, lap steel, & voice)
Lucas first became acquainted with free
improvisation through the legendary Pauline Oliveros’ Deep Listening. His style is a
peculiar combination of meditative sounds
and eclectic references to soul, jazz, gospel
and world folk music. He’s often heard
sporadically shifting from atonal guitar
plucks to luau comfort chords. His impetuous shifts in tempo result in dramatic but
cohesive collages of sound.
Paul Connolly
Paul Connolly, who goes by brightbluebeetle, uses acoustic instruments,
found objects, and electronics in different
configurations to create his audio soundscapes. Paul’s music is intimate, lyrical, and
Ryan Edwards (guitar, voice, & alto sax)
Ryan’s approach reflects his deep
knowledge of music theory and expertise
as a recording engineer. Initially focused
on minimal textures and chordal move-
unusually disarming. His use of repetitive,
abstract lines results in an expansive sense
of directionless flow.
www.brightbluebeetle.com/
Robert Pearson
Robert is known for bleeding fingers
and post-gig rest days. His intense sonic
scribbles combine post-modern angst with
romantic melodrama. When asked about
his influences he said, “Oh, I don’t know…
I used to listen to some classical music.”
He’s a truly self-taught artist. Robert’s
sense of time is compact, as if trying to fit
in as many notes as possible before time
runs out. His sound is fast, furious, and
sometimes bordering on violent.
Sandy Ewen
The first time I heard Sandy, I couldn’t
see what was happening, but I didn’t need
to. I could hear, and her sound stood out
clearly as it seemed to float along, in the
background, but with distinction. The
unusual timbre she creates is due to a
variety of found objects modifying her guitar. Approaching every gesture with care
and curiosity, Sandy’s time is expansive,
nuanced, and inquisitive.
The Cosmonauts at Battle of the Bands
Rice student band The Cosmonauts (from left, Joshua Levin, Alexander Crompton, and Laura Greenwell) played a whimsical French-influenced set at the 2009 Battle of the Bands.
Patricia Bacalao
Patricia Bacalao
B L A C K I E at the Outdoor Show
Only at KTRU…
Local legend B L A C K I E performed while seated on an amp at the 2009 Outdoor Show
A mysterious bear-human hybrid made an appearance at KTRU’s 2009 Polar Prom.
10
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David Rosales
KTRU Staff/Folio Staff/Contact KTRU
rice radio folio
FALL 2009
KTRU FALL 2009 Folio STAFF
How Can I Contact KTRU?
Listen to or read about KTRU at www.ktru.org.
On air music requests: 713.348.KTRU (5878)
You can also find email addresses for all of our directors at ktru.org.
General correspondence can be directed to ktru@ktru.org
Editor: Rose Cahalan
Layout and Design: David Wang
Copy: Rose Cahalan, Katie Mayer, Will Robedee
Contributors: Patricia Bacalao, Carina Baskett, James Bricker,
Matthew Brownlie, Mark Flaum, Lance Higdon, Jae Mills, Ayn Morgan,
Rachel Orosco, Christopher Spadone, David Rosales, Varsha Vakil,
Brittany Wise, Michelle Yom, Kelsey Yule
How Can I submit music?
To submit music for airplay consideration:
Music Directors
C/O KTRU MS-506
P.O. Box 1892 • Houston, TX 77251
How Can I contact other people?
<Insert Name of Director/ Department/ Specialty Show>
C/O KTRU MS-506
P.O. Box 1892 • Houston, TX 77251
KTRU STAFF LISTING
Station Manager: Rachel O
Program Director: Zach R
DJ Directors: Carina B, Patricia B, Jay H
Music Directors: Miguel Q
Assistant Music Directors: Chase L, Kevin B
Business Manager: Buton D
Publicity: Anneli R, Kendra E
External Ventures: Brittany W, Joelle Z
Folio: Rose C
Outdoor Show: Kelsey Y
Operations: Mark H, Joelle Z
Promotions: Burton D, Mars V
PSAs and Community: Varsha V, Emma T
News: Carina B
Sultan o’ Stick: Lauren P
Socials: Pamela T
Webmaster: Lauren P
Student Engineer: Andrew L
KTRU carries Rice
Women’s Basketball and
Rice Baseball. Check out
www.ktru.org or the
respective Rice Owls
team pages for broadcast
dates and times.
If a game isn’t on air,
it’s probably
streaming online!
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Steven Crowell
General Manager: Will Robedee
Chief Engineer: Bob Cham
Office Manager: Scottie McDonald
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